KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda has officially declared an end to its Ebola outbreak after completing 42 consecutive days without recording a new case, marking a major public health milestone following weeks of intensive surveillance and response efforts.
Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi announced the development, saying the outbreak had been successfully contained after the last confirmed patient was discharged on June 16, 2026.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was first confirmed on May 15, 2026, after infected individuals crossed into Uganda from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Twenty Cases Recorded
According to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, the outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed infections, with 18 patients recovering while two people died.
Authorities said 15 of the confirmed cases involved people who had entered Uganda from the DRC, while five Ugandan healthcare workers contracted the virus while caring for infected patients.
Health officials credited the country’s rapid containment efforts to effective surveillance, contact tracing and timely isolation of infected individuals.
Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, officials said investigators were able to trace the origin of the virus, map its transmission chain and monitor all identified contacts until the end of the incubation period.
Everyone who came into contact with confirmed patients was quarantined and monitored for 21 days, with no secondary infections reported among those under observation.
Technology Boosted Response
The Ministry of Health said the successful response was supported by modern public health technologies, including genome sequencing, rapid laboratory testing and digital contact tracing systems.
Officials noted that these tools enabled health workers to quickly identify cases, monitor transmission and implement targeted interventions that helped contain the outbreak.
DRC Continues to Battle Ebola
While Uganda has declared the outbreak over, neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo continues to battle a much larger Ebola epidemic.
According to figures cited by Ugandan authorities, the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak has recorded approximately 3,200 infections, with 1,405 deaths, highlighting the continued regional public health threat.
Health experts have emphasised the need for continued cross-border surveillance given the movement of people between the two countries.
About the Bundibugyo Virus
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) as a severe and often fatal form of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of the species within the Orthoebolavirus genus.
The virus is believed to originate in wildlife, particularly fruit bats, which are considered the natural reservoir. Human infections are thought to occur through contact with infected animals before spreading between people through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or contaminated materials of infected individuals.
Transmission can also occur in healthcare settings where infection prevention measures are inadequate and during unsafe burial practices involving direct contact with the deceased.
The disease has an incubation period of between two and 21 days, with infected individuals becoming contagious only after symptoms begin. Early symptoms—including fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat—are often non-specific, making early diagnosis challenging.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health has urged the public and healthcare workers to remain vigilant despite the declaration, citing the ongoing outbreak in the DRC and the continued risk of cross-border transmission.
